Medical chip to treat eye disorders

Bangalore: Researchers at the University of Michigan have bought a new hope to people suffering from Glaucoma, an eye disorder leading to the damage of the optic nerve, which results in the vision loss of an individual. This hope by the researchers is in the form of a 'micro chip'.

This awesomely small, cubic-millimeter computer sensor can eventually find its way into a person's eye.

This micro chip was designed to take pressure readings for Glaucoma patients. This chip records and uploads its data at the rate of 400 to 900 MHz frequencies using a wireless transmitter every 15 minutes. The most surprising fact about this device is not its tiny size, but its ability to run for 28 days on a 40-microwatt battery. This prototype also has a solar array, which can charge the battery in 10 hours of indoor and 1.5 hours of outdoor lighting.

Researchers have been making many eye technology related devices like the growing of an also a 'mini-robot' that could swim through a person's eyes to deliver medical treatments. So far, this micro chip has not been tested on human or animal eyes.

With this latest innovation by the Michigan University, 'Ambiq Micro,' a company founded by Scott Hanson, plans to sell low-power microprocessors that could substantially extend the battery life of a range of tiny wireless devices. The start-up's technology could be used in smart credit cards, computers, and a variety of medical and mobile devices.